Medical tubes can be used to deliver fluids or devices into a body and/or to drain bodily fluids, secretions, and debris from compartments and structures within the body. For example, medical tubes can be used to drain fluid from one's bladder, from the colon or other portions of the alimentary tract, or from the lungs or other organs in conjunction with various therapies. As another example, medical tubes can be used to drain blood and other fluids that typically accumulate within a body cavity, such as the mediastinal, pericardial, pleural or peritoneal spaces following surgery, infection or trauma. As yet another example, medical tubes can be used to deliver fluids to a body for nourishment within the alimentary tract or they can be used to provide access to the vasculature for removal or delivery of fluids, medications or devices. Typically, a medical tube is inserted into the patient so that its distal end is provided in or adjacent the space where it is desired to remove or deliver material while a proximal portion remains outside the patient's body, where it can be accessed and/or connected, for example, to a suction source.
Fluids passing through a medical tube (particularly when exposed to blood, platelets, pus or other thick substances) can form clots or other obstructions within the medical tube, which can partially or totally obstruct the pathway within the tube. Obstruction of the medical tube can impact its effectiveness to remove or deliver the fluid and other material for which it was originally placed, eventually rendering the medical tube partially or totally non-functional. In some cases, a non-functional tube can have serious or potentially life-threatening consequences. For example, if there is a blockage in a chest tube following cardiac or pulmonary surgery, the resulting accumulation of fluid (e.g., air) around the heart and lungs without adequate drainage can cause serious adverse events such as pericardial tamponade and pneumothorax.